Deaths from bowel cancer expected to rise in Australia

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Deaths rates from rectal cancer are predicted to increase almost 60 per cent in Australia by 2035, while many other countries are seeing death rates fall. On the plus side, Australia's rates of colon cancer are expected to fall by around 50 per cent by 2035. Death rates for both colon and rectal cancer are expected to drop globally but the total number of deaths is expected to rise, due to population growth and ageing. The authors say the predicted rise in rectal cancer in Australia, along with Canada and the US is worrisome and the underlying mechanisms warrant further research

Journal/conference: International Journal of Cancer

Organisation/s: The University of Melbourne

Media Release

From: Wiley-Blackwell

Global Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rates Predicted to Rise
In the first effort to predict the future burden of colorectal cancer mortality globally, researchers note that colon and rectal cancer mortality rates are projected to decrease in most countries apart from some Latin American and Caribbean countries, but increases are predicted for several countries from Europe, North America and Oceania. The findings are published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Despite these regional differences, the number of deaths is expected to rise in all countries for both colon and rectal cancer by 60.0 percent and 71.5 percent until 2035, respectively, due to population growth and aging.

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